So, Is It Time Now to Delete the Mascot for the Lake View Chiefs?
This weekend I'll be making my first trip to Globe Life Field in Arlington to see the Texas Rangers take on the Cleveland Indians. It will also be the last game I will see my favorite team called the Cleveland Indians.
The Indians, as they have been called for over one hundred years, are changing their name to the Cleveland Guardians starting next season. The name change comes as some consider the name Indians racist.
The ballclub announced the name change [...] with a video on Twitter narrated by actor Tom Hanks, ending months of internal discussions triggered by a national reckoning by institutions and teams to permanently drop logos and names considered racist.
Three years ago, the Indians or the Tribe as most fans also call them, decided to drop their Chief Wahoo mascot.
The caricature was also considered racist by some although to me it was a symbol that meant baseball (albeit lousy baseball for most of my childhood growing up when you saw those Indians play).
If the name Indians offends some and we have to be sensitive to their feelings, do we have to “delete” the names of all other "racist" mascots?
Hayes High School near Austin recently changed the name of their mascot from the Rebels to the Hawks at a cost of over $500,000 to distance itself from Confederate history.
By replacing everything from jerseys and decals to logos and scoreboards, school estimates show a rebranding effort that cost over $500,000. Yet perhaps more costly board members said would've been not doing anything.
We know about the former Robert E. Lee Middle School here in San Angelo changing its name to Lone Star Middle School last year. So, the question becomes what other schools should delete their racist names?
Should we delete the name of the Lake View Chiefs in San Angelo? I mean if the name "Indians" offends some as racist, certainly the name "Chiefs" does. Lake View has a long history as the Chiefs, but do we need to throw that out just like they are doing with the Cleveland Indians?
We'd like to know your opinion. Are you offended by what some people consider racist mascots? Do we need to rename those teams? Tell us what you think on Facebook or on our station app.